BBC journalists mounted picket lines today after launching a 24-hour strike in a row over jobs, threatening disruption to radio and TV news programmes.

BBC journalists mounted picket lines today after launching a 24-hour strike in a row over jobs, threatening disruption to radio and TV news programmes.

A picket line outside the BBC Wales' headquarters in Llandaff, Cardiff, was one of several around the UK as members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) walked out from midnight as part of a campaign against compulsory redundancies.

The union said jobs were set to be axed across the corporation, including BBC Scotland, Five Live, the Asian Network and the World Service.

NUJ members started a work to rule last week and stepped up the action with a strike, which was supported by other unions.

The dispute began in Scotland but was escalated after the union said compulsory redundancies were being planned in other parts of the corporation.

BBC radio and TV news programmes were badly affected. The flagship Radio 4 Today programme was replaced with pre-recorded features, while national and regional TV new bulletins were hit.

Radio Wales replaced its Good Morning Wales programme with short news bulletins and repeats of other speech programming. Radio Cymru broadcast a short edition of its Post Cyntaf breakfast show.

Breakfast television bulletins on BBC One Wales were cancelled, while the 1.30pm edition of Wales Today was replaced with a shorter news bulletin.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said the walkout was being strongly supported by its members, who mounted picket lines outside BBC offices and studios across the country.

The BBC said it was "disappointed" with the industrial action, adding that it would not alter the fact that it has to make "significant" savings.

Foreign correspondents and news readers who are NUJ members joined the stoppage, which led to a number of national radio news bulletins being cancelled, including Today, the World at One and the World Tonight.

The corporation said there would be a 30-minute bulletin on BBC 1 at lunchtime, but no regional news at 1.30.

Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary, led journalists out of the BBC’s new central London studios at midnight at the start of the walkout, and later joined a picket line.

She said: "NUJ members across the BBC are taking action to defend jobs and quality journalism at the corporation. They are angry and frustrated at the poor decisions being taken at the top of the BBC – decisions that are leading to journalists being forced out of their jobs and quality journalism and programming compromised.

"Instead of making sure that the redeployment process works properly in all areas of the BBC, managers are prepared to waste public money on needless redundancies and sacrifice the livelihoods of experienced and talented journalists, at the same time as advertising other jobs externally.

"It’s particularly disappointing that the BBC has failed to engage meaningfully in attempts to resolve this dispute – an abdication of responsibility for a public service broadcaster."

The NUJ said its members across the BBC – in Scotland, in BBC South, the Asian Network, Newsbeat, Five Live, the World Service and English Regions – were at risk of compulsory redundancy.

A BBC spokesman said: "We understand how frustrating and difficult situations involving redundancies can be, but it is disappointing the NUJ have chosen to take this action.

"We are working hard to ensure that we succeed in getting staff redeployed wherever we can and will continue to work with the unions to ensure that their members receive the right redeployment support."

The BBC, which is cutting around 2,000 jobs under its so-called delivering quality first programme, said 554 employees had left as a result of voluntary redundancy, 186 had been redeployed, and there have been 153 compulsory redundancies.

The NUJ said 7,000 jobs had been cut at the BBC since 2004, while a further 2,000 are being lost under cost-saving plans.

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